James Browne (Wexford, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Minister. In its submission to the Joint Committee on the Future of Mental Health Care, the Irish College of General Practitioners said: "Our health system would appear to value machines, hospitals, and drugs over talk therapy, time to care and social support." Irish general practices are slowly getting bigger. As the proportion of single-handed GPs, which is now at only 18%, is reducing and more GPs are working in practices with three, four or more GPs, these larger practices could very usefully incorporate an on-site strand of talk therapy delivered within GP practices. The trendsetting practices are actively exploring the use of relevant innovative care.

The HSE spends 40 times more on medication than counselling services to treat mental health illnesses. Counselling and talk therapies can often be effective for mild to moderate mental health difficulties but these therapies are vastly under-resourced in Ireland. People battling mental illnesses need more access to counselling and talk therapies with less reliance on medication. Much of the evidence suggests that because of a lack of alternative pathways in giving mental healthcare support to their patients, GPs are either relying on accident and emergency departments or on medication. I am not saying that medication is being prescribed inappropriately but that GPs are having to rely on it because of a lack of alternative healthcare pathways.

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